The Hunt
by Jazzy24
Summary: Two months after AJBAC -- Max tries to escape from Manticore again. Please R/R! ~*~ Finished! ~*~
1. Cookies and Milk

Description: Two months after AJBAC, Max is escaping from Manticore again. I can't tell you anymore cause that would ruin the fun of reading it on your own!   
  
A/N: I KNOW the aftermath of the season finale has been done time and time again, but I thought I'd add my own ideas into the mix. Let me know if you like it or not all feedback is welcomed and encouraged. If people like it, I'll write more, otherwise, I wont. I hope you enjoy in nonetheless.   
  
Disclaimer: I own nothin'   
  
Please R/R!  
  
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THE HUNT  
Chapter One  
Cookies and Milk  
  
  
Run! Don't stop. Can't stop. Need to. No! Run!  
  
Sirens still whirled in the distance and men shouted out their orders as Max ran through the forest. Max pushed her feet hard than she could. Hours of running were wearing her down. There was only so much an X5 could take. She couldn't stop, not when she was after her.  
  
Max was aching, her feet were sore and her stomach was cramping. The snow crunched beneath her feet, so cold and slick. Her boots were untied and the laces whipped around as the picked up water from the ground and slashed wet marks across her gray pants. As the melted snow crept into the holes of her shoes, she felt a sudden relief as it cooled her blistered feet.   
  
Must run faster! She thought. No, wait! Watch out! Log!   
  
She realized all too late as he foot slid under a log that was hidden under the snow and she sprawled out onto the snow. "So much for not leaving a trail." She thought warily as she noticed the uprooted snow. Her chest was heaving and her heart was racing. No, that was wrong, Zack's heart was racing.   
  
She felt tears sting her eyes, but quickly brushed them away. Now wasn't the time, not when she was so close. Max gathered herself up and started to run again. It was so cold outside. The snow was gently falling around her and getting caught in her hair and solider clothes. Suddenly she noticed it was silent, way too silent. Max mused to herself as she felt like a deer being hunted, all for sport, that's what she was.   
  
"Gotta keep.... going." She breathed hard as the breath came out of her mouth stung her throat and made a cloud of warm vapor in front of her face. She rested her hands on her knees and panted for a moment before finding the energy to continue.   
  
The sun was setting and she had been running since dawn. But she couldn't stop, not when her clone was after her, her and all those other clones that were made from her and her siblings. It was sick and twisted, that bitch Madame X made clones from the same siblings she saw die. It did make her feel somewhat better knowing that a duplicate of them was breathing, but they weren't the same. Nothing was the same.  
  
Max whirled around as a twig snapped in the distance. Her pupils expanded and she looked clear into the massive maze of trees. Manticore was so big. She remembered the forest almost perfectly when her and her siblings had 'practiced' their techniques. She knew the way out, of course she did. But she also knew that her clone would know it too, so she ran the opposite way and into the dense forest, hoping to throw them off her trail. If she was right, Seattle was only a few miles ahead.   
  
Someone was still following her! Damn those bastards! There was a pond frozen over a little way ahead, but she knew that even if she could get under there and hide like she had done when she was escaping as a child, her clone would find her. Max shook her head. This was bad.   
  
Max tried to control her hard breathing, but it hurt to inhale and exhale when she did it so little at a time. Everything was hurting. Being cooped up in Manticore for two months had weakened her. Without her normal exercise or diet, she was being reduced to nothing. That's what they wanted. To Hell with them!  
  
Max craned her neck as she peered into the forest in front of her. She could barely hear the traffic horns and beeps, but it was there. A new surge of hope filled her she was so close, she could feel it. She could almost taste a nice hot chocolate chip cookie and feel the warm chocolate milk slide down her throat.   
  
Her reverie was interrupted as a foot step crunching in the snow was sounded. It was close, too close. Max listened as hard as she could and could faintly hear the ruffling of clothes as silent orders were being given. Manticore soldiers. It was wide gesture, they were fanning out and planning to trap her. What were these kids, wolves?   
  
Great. More feet were thumping the ground and crunching the snow. Obviously her escape didn't go as well as she had hoped. She stopped and let herself try and breathe normally before going on again. Max gathered her composer and started to head towards the traffic of Seattle again, all too late. She stopped as she heard a gun being cocked behind her.   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Logan, here." Bling handed Logan a warm cup of tea before sitting down next to him on the couch. Both looked out of the penthouse at the falling snow. It was so innocent and refreshing from the long bouts of rain they had been getting.   
  
"Thanks." Logan returned after a moment of drinking the tea. "Ya know, today's the anniversary." He said dryly.  
  
"Of what?" Bling asked, all ready knowing what it was, but wanting Logan to open up to him.   
  
"Two months ago, Max was..." He stopped. He couldn't finished the sentence even though both of them knew he was planning on saying 'shot'. Bling nodded. The was the first time in weeks Logan had even spoken about it. Most of the time he had only been receiving simple gestures and remarks.  
  
"I know." Bling said quietly as he sipped his tea. He encouraged Logan to go on, and after a few minutes, he did.   
  
"I just wish, I wish that I could've done something. I mean, she was there, in my arms. Then, she just .... was gone." Logan swallowed another gulp of tea to press back the urges to let loose and sob. He hadn't cried since the night it happen and his bottled emotions needed to vent.   
  
"There was nothing you could've done." Bling said, reassuring Logan with a pat on the back.   
  
"I could've taken her back to Manticore, they could've saved her." Logan said quietly.   
  
"And then what?" Bling said angrily. "Logan, you know she said she'd rather die than go back there. She would've hated it even if she got her life back. And you,"  
  
"What about me?" Logan snapped.  
  
"You would've been killed for knowing what you know." Bling said as he dropped his gaze to the floor. "I know you miss her, I do too, but there was nothing that could've been done." Bling and Logan were quiet for a few minutes before Bling rose and collected the mugs before retiring back to the kitchen to clean them.   
  
Logan punched the couch cushion and let out a grunt. Damn, he let her go. He loved her and lost her. Lydecker was right, he shouldn't have gotten involved with her, someone did get hurt. And another was killed. Logan sighed and walked over to his computer, it was completely quiet in his penthouse except for the running water in the kitchen and the whirring of his exoskeleton.   
  
He turned his computer on with a quick and hard flip of his wrist, gently shaking the computer a bit. As the screen came into focus, he went to his mailbox and scrolled through the lists. There was a new one from Sebastian. Interesting. He never liked to use e-mail, always preferred live confrontations. Logan shrugged and double-clicked on the letter. It popped up and said only three words.   
  
"Your X5 lives."   
  
  



	2. Bullets

Disclaimer: None of it's mine except the story and if I did own the characters, I'd be rolling in the money, not writing fanfic. Don't sue, I'm all ready broke.   
  
Please R/R!  
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THE HUNT  
Chapter Two  
Bullets  
  
  
Max stopped and slowly turned around. She expected to see her clone, standing there cold and emotionless with the chamber loaded and the tip aimed at her heart again. A heavy wave of déjà vu swept over her. Instead, she found a man, probably around thirty dressed in heavy camouflage and held a simple handgun.   
  
Was this guy serious?  
  
"Put your hands in the air, I am under strict orders to take you into custody and back to Manticore." As much as he may have tried, a tinge of fear crept through his voice, and Max heard it.  
  
Max smiled slightly and cocked her head. "I don't think so." With one quick motion, she side kicked on a nearby tree and kicked the guard square in the face, sending him to the ground and dropping the gun with a groan. Max quickly grabbed the gun and aimed it at the guard. "I really can't have you following me." She said sadly.  
  
"Please don't shoot." The man practically begged in front of her. While Max considered, he got to his knees and got some of his composure back. "Besides," He swallowed. "you fire and you'll give away your position." He smirked.  
  
"You're right." Max reached down and into the man's pouch that was attached to his belt. She pulled out a long silver attachment and screwed it onto the gun. "I'll need a silencer."   
  
The man shut his eyes and began mumbling some words, Max figured they were prayers but thought nothing of it. She walked halfway around him and changed her handle on the gun so that she was holding the gun by it's neck. She pulled her arm in an arc and swiftly brought on the back of the guy's head. He slumped forward, out cold.   
  
Max dropped the gun onto the snow and with her feet, covered it up by the snow that surrounded it. "I never did like guns." She quietly said, more to herself than the unconscious Manticore agent. She looked at him once more before heading back towards the sounds of Seattle.   
  
When Max reached the gate, she smiled. It seemed so much smaller than when she escaped the first time. Even better. She crouched down, got her footing, and then sprang up into the air and landed safely on the other side, easily missing the barbed wire. As Max ran down the street and headed for the city, she heard the X7s reaching the gate and calling out orders to each other, not worried anymore about being silent.   
  
"Immobilize X5-452! Fan out!" One shouted and then turned on his radio. Max had an eerie suspicion that he was Zack's clone, the leader like always. She heard the small thuds as the X7s jumped the fence and were after her. Max ran like Hell.  
  
The X7 talked to the radio, his voice was faint and indistinct, but she could hear as he talked to Madame X. "X5-452 has reached the perimeter and has escaped Manticore grounds." Max couldn't hear the response, all she knew was that Madame X was going to be pissed, and that made her smile.   
  
As Max ran down the street she heard numerous shots being fired from behind her, the damn X7s were armed again. The bullets fired from different directions, all aimed at her, but it only took one to bring her down onto the icy pavement.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Logan whirled around on his swivel chair and grabbed the phone on his desk, quickly dialing Sebastian's number. As it rung, Logan felt irritated, what was taking so long? "Pick up the damn phone." He grumbled. As if on cue, Sebastian answered the phone, his voice was his normal monotone from the computerized machine.   
  
"Logan?" He answered the phone.   
  
"Yes. I got your message." He said anxiously.   
  
"Come over. We'll talk." Sebastian said and hung up the phone. Logan erased the message in his box and grabbed his coat and headed for the door. He nearly knocked Bling over as he turned into the kitchen as he went for the elevator.   
  
"Whoa, where are you going in such a rush?" Bling asked as he pushed Logan back a little.   
  
"I just got some information, I'll be back in a while." He said simply, never taking his eyes off the door. The less Bling knew, the better. If someone tapped the phone or anything, it was better that he and Sebastian were the only ones involved. The only ones who might be punished. Who might be killed.   
  
Bling understood that and everything, he didn't need to be told twice. "All right." He said and shrugged it off. Logan told him a lot, but there were some things he knew that couldn't be told. "I'll fix you some dinner and then I'll head out." He let go of Logan, who immediately shot for the door.   
  
"Thanks." Was all that Bling heard as the door shut. He shook his head and started to make the dinner.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What's the deal?" Logan said as he came into Sebastian's office. The computer that was attached to him started to beep and the modem clicked as he transferred his message.  
  
"I hacked into Manticore base to find out anything on the X5 that was captured along with Max."   
  
"Zack." Logan said. He nearly had forgotten about Zack, over the two months, he could only think about how Max had died, shot viciously through the heart by an X7. The thought panged into his mind again and made him become sidetracked. The whole incident ran over and over like a movie in his head, never stopping and practically driving him mad.  
  
He was snapped from his trance as the monotonous voice of Sebastian's computer spoke. "Yes. I checked the Infirmary files and found out that an unscheduled heart transplant had been made, and a harvesting." Sebastian pulled up the coded files and filled in the password. Logan read them over and a small wisp of a smile grew on his face.   
  
"Max got a heart." Logan whispered.   
  
Sebastian didn't say anything else. He deleted the files from his computer and shut it down.   
  
"Thank you." Logan said and quickly left Sebastian's. Logan headed home, his smile was growing. As he entered the penthouse, Bling was just about ready to go home.   
  
"You're dinner's on the oven, I'll catch ya tomorrow." Bling started to put his coat on, but Logan stopped him.  
  
"Wait." Logan said as he took off his coat and brushed the snow out of his hair. "I have a lot of work to do, I'll need your help."   
  
  



	3. Between Hope and Loss

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Never have, and sadly, never will.  
  
Please R/R!  
  
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THE HUNT  
Chapter Three  
Between Hope and Loss  
  
  
As Max hit the ground from the impact of the bullet, she instantly curled up into a ball and clasped her side in pain. The bullet had gone straight through the side of her stomach. She could tell that she wasn't badly wounded, but it hurt like hell. Max scrambled to her feet after seeing the X7s closing in on her; most of them slowing down to refill their chambers.   
  
"Dammit." She said as she continued to run, an aching pain filled her mind and warned her to stop. Max weaved off the street as another barrage of bullets came hurtling towards her. She jumped through the trees and over the underbrush. Holding her wounded right side with her left hand was slowing her down and making her loose momentum. Yes, she was out of Manticore's grounds, but she still wasn't out of the woods yet. Literally speaking.   
  
Her breath was even more weakened then before due to her sudden blood loss and the running she had done all day. Max slowed down and leaned up against a tree, sweat was pouring down her face and the clouds of her breath threatened to give her position away.   
  
Then it was silent again. The only thing she could hear was her forced shallow breathing. Max pulled her hand away from her side and saw the blood that covered it. She was dropping fast. She needed to get somewhere warm. There wouldn't be any permanent damage if she could get it cleaned right away. She needed somewhere safe and reliable. Somewhere like Logan's place. Max smiled faintly. She was going love dropping in on his place; his surprised expression would be enough for her.  
  
Over the two months, it had been a horrible battle to stay out of the solider mind. Madame X tried everything to reprogram her, but she wouldn't give. Over a week ago, she finally gave in and broke, right in front of the bitch too. Well, at least, Madame X thought she was broken.   
  
When she was allowed to roam freely between her exercises and talk with Brin, she made another mental map of the grounds and possible ways to escape.   
  
Brin.   
  
Brin was so happy that Max was 'back on their team,' it was like nothing had happened before. She had missed Brin so much, but still planned to keep her word to get her out of there. As much as Max was faking it, she wanted Brin to do it with her, persuade her to try and escape as well, even though, deep down, she knew it was nearly impossible.   
  
As Max had climbed out of the window and down to the ground for her escape, Brin saw her pleaded with her to stay. When Max said she couldn't, not after what they had done, Brin called her a 'treacherous snake' and went for Madame X. The sirens had blared and the lights flew over the grounds right as the sun began to rise. That's when it all started and when it all ended.   
  
It was so hard not to give in, when so much was being offered to her and they made it seem so good and tried to make her feel bad for leaving the first time. She blocked them out, them and the guilt they tried to bring with them. She kept thinking of her friends, Zack, her siblings and mostly Logan. His eyes were full of so much pain when she was in his arms after being shot in the heart, she never wanted him to hurt, not like that.   
  
"He thinks I'm dead." She thought bitterly. "And I would be dead if Zack didn't ... "  
  
Max shook her head, not the time. She *would* be dead if she didn't get out of there quickly. Max started to run, but a heavy ambush of fatigue flew over her. Everything started to get dark and fuzzy. The forest started to spin rapidly and become a continuous blur. The last thing she remembered was looking up at the falling snow that started to cover her hot and paled face from the ground and Madame X's face as she looked down on her, smiling with those hollow eyes.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Logan hadn't felt so alive in two months. Bling was checking out some of the files that Logan had printed off and he was hacking into the Manticore files again. He wanted to be sure, he wanted to be positive that he wasn't leading himself into a trap of disappointment.   
  
Logan cracked his sore knuckles and squinted at the screen. What time was it? He glanced at his watch. It was getting late, oh well. Didn't matter. Bling yawned beside him and Logan looked over at him. He was straining to read the files and his eyes were half-mast.  
  
"Thanks for the help Bling, but I can take it from here." He said quietly as he took the files from Bling's hand who happily gave them up.  
  
"You sure?" He asked as he suppressed a yawn.  
  
Logan smiled. "Yeah."   
  
"All right. I'll be back first thing in the morning."   
  
"Ok. Thanks for your help." Logan shouted as Bling shut the door behind him. Logan turned his attention back to the computer. He was trying to find where they had put Max, what section and what room. With that, he could contact Syl and Krit who could help her escape. It seemed to be a perfect plan, until he stopped to think about all the holes they might run into.  
  
Questions of his faith in the mission were zooming around in his head like a ricocheted bullet. No, he didn't want to think of bullets or guns at the moment. Still, he had his doubts. What if Syl and Krit were captured in the attempt? What if he didn't get the correct information and instead they broke into the X7's dorm. That would be bad, very bad.   
  
But the worst possibility that refused to leave his mind was the thought of Manticore successfully changing Max to the same face that she was in the pictures he saw of her.   
  
Blood. Death. Attack. Obey. Fight. Kill.   
  
It was all part of her life as a child at Manticore. What if they were able to bring it back out in her?   
  
Logan shook his head and clinged to the hope that all the talk she did about never being that again was true and he could hold her to it. But he still wondered what they had been doing to her all this time. Manticore would want to break her the second her scratches healed, if not before.   
  
Logan continued to think about Max and Manticore as he clicked away at his keyboard. The time was slowly ticking away and the penthouse was getting cold while the city grew silent. He yawned and rubbed his eyes; he couldn't fall asleep, not when Max was alive and trapped in that Hell.   
  
He clicked into a few more files and finally found what he was looking for. The assigned room for the damaged X5 and the file made since her surgery, it was simple, but enough. A log that was kept by some officer or doctor of Manticore, too bad for them that he found it. He skimmed over the file that read;   
  
Manticore  
Infirmary Room  
10-16-2021  
12:33 am  
  
X5-452   
  
Received heart transplant from X5-599  
Assigned Rm. # 33c Level 3 Section D  
  
10-17 In recovery from surgery, all vital signs are stable  
10-18 X5 shows signs of resistance towards Manticore  
10-22 X5 almost completely healed from surgery, prepared for reprogramming.  
10-27 X5 continues to resist Manticore solider ops.  
11-15 Took down a Manticore guard in attempt to escape. Tranquilizer darts were used to stabilize her.  
11-28 Has begun to undergo a specialized treatment for reprogramming, results are looking high  
12-10 X5-452 has successfully been reprogrammed and is scheduled for daily training.   
  
That was it. There hadn't been any other dates entered into the log. Logan leaned back in his chair and stared dismally at December 10th's entry. It couldn't be true. But, what if, it was?  
  



	4. Late at Night

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the story line.   
  
Please R/R  
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THE HUNT  
Chapter Four  
Late at Night  
  
  
Max was awake, but kept her eyes closed. She could feel her stomach being wrapped from her injury, but didn't know who it was. To keep them from having to drug her, she let them believe she was asleep and still unconscious from her blackout. That's how she wanted it.  
  
She was moving. Through her shut lids, she could see lights passing by overhead through the window.  
  
She had obviously been put into one of Manticore's trucks and they were taking her back. No! She didn't want to go back there! Not now, not ever! Max struggled to urge to jump up and snap all the necks in the truck, actually, that wasn't a bad idea. Before Max could decide, a conversation had begun. She could tell that one voice was directly to her right and the other was wrapping her stomach.   
  
"How did she escape?" The voice of Madame X spoke. She was sitting next to Max, her voice cool and calm. Max had to control herself as hard as she could from not killing the bitch, it was one of the hardest things she had to do, but she might learn something important. She also knew from the other voice as it told the story of her escape, that it was Brin. When she finished wrapping her stomach, she sat down to her left.   
  
"I'm not tied down." Max thought happily. "I'll need to take Brin out first, then I can deal with Renfro."   
  
Within a blink, Max slammed Brin's head against the side window and with a groan from Brin, knocked her out. As Brin slumped forward, Max turned to Renfro and did the same. With both of them out, Max moved them out of her way and opened the door.   
  
"Hey! What's going on back there!?" The driver shouted as he swerved on the road to look back at his passengers. With a wink to him, Max jumped out of the truck and rolled onto the pavement. The moaned and clutched her side, getting a painful memory of being shot. Again.   
  
Max tore off for the forest again in a fast sprint, not looking back at the truck or paying any attention to the others on the road. Having the quick nap helped to reenergize her body and made it easier to run on her feet. As she ran in, no more than thirty feet, she turned and watched as Madame X's truck came to a halt and the driver went to check on Brin and Renfro.   
  
Max smiled. "Let's see them catch me now." She spoke quietly to herself noting how dark and cold it had gotten. She ran off once again and headed for Logan's, figuring it would take her less than an hour to reach it on foot.  
  
It felt good to be free.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Logan woke up with a start after hearing a dull thud on the roof. He shook his head, probably dreamed it. Logan yawned and rubbed his sore face that was on top of the keyboard. He squinted against the bright glare from the computer and took his glasses off. He rubbed his eyes roughly before placing his glasses back on and shutting down his computer.   
  
He knew Max was alive, that was the good thing. The bad news was that they had documented that she was reprogrammed successfully. His only hope was that it was an act that she put on. An act so that she could eventually escape.   
  
Logan sighed. It was late and he needed sleep. He looked at his clock in the kitchen and rolled his eyes. It was nearly four in the morning and he had been up all night. He pushed his chair back under the desk and cleaned up the scattered papers and turned of the light. Logan headed to the kitchen for his dinner that Bling had made hours ago. That's what a microwave was for anyway.   
  
As Logan walked down his hall, a black rope dropped down right in front of his face and gently swung back and fourth. He instinctively jumped back a few feet and followed the rope up to the skylight in his roof. Before his eyes, Max tethered down the rope, a smug smile on her face.   
  
"I figured I'd drop in." Max said as she unattached her belt to the rope, hurried over and hugged him. He eagerly returned the hug, not sure what to say.   
  
"I thought you were dead." He said quietly as he took her face in his hands and looked at her in the eyes.   
  
"So did I." She laughed.   
  
Logan pulled Max in for a lingering kiss. Both stood there for a moment, neither wanting to move or break the embrace. When they eventually parted, Logan looked Max over and frowned when he saw Max's blood stained clothes.  
  
"What happened?" He said, pointing to the right side of her stomach.   
  
"Oh," She said as if she suddenly remembered. "I ran into a little trouble with some X7s. I don't think they really appreciated me strolling out of there yesterday morning." Both shared a quick laugh.   
  
"I've really missed you." Logan said gently as he ran his hand down her cheek. She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.   
  
"I missed you too."   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What direction did she go when she escaped?" An angry Renfro asked the driver of the truck. She leaned forward and placed her rigid arms on her desk and stared at him. A small bump had risen on the side of her head right above her temple, her reminder for letting her guard down.   
  
"Towards Seattle, Ma'am." He said as he clutched his hat in his hands and backed away a foot.   
  
Renfro closed her eyes and sighed deeply. It had taken months to catch her and to tend to her injuries, she wasn't planning on letting her X5 slip away so easily. She backed away from her desk and paced the room behind it, trying to decide what to do.  
  
"Get a team of trackers like the ones that Lydecker had to trace that implant she has. When they were first tracking her, they narrowed it down to the high rise district, Sector Nine." She paused, making sure he understood. "X5-452 moved before they could check the scene. My guess is, is that she has some higher help out there. Someone who knows a great deal about my X5s, and I would like to meet them in person, and see what information they're holding."   
  
"Yes, Ma'am." He nodded and left, grateful to still have his life after letting the girl escape. He headed down to the lab to collect the crew and the equipment for the tracking.  
  
Renfro sat at her desk and after a moment, opened a drawer that held numerous pictures. She shuffled through them until she found one in particular. At the bottom, it showed the number X5-452, and had a child in the picture dressed in simple clothes and a short hair cut. Renfro tapped the face and smiled.   
  
"I'll find you, and when I do, you're mine."   
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. 9:40 am

Disclaimer: If you don't know by now, I don't own the characters except for James.   
  
Please R/R!!  
  
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THE HUNT  
Chapter Five  
9:40 am  
  
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8:55 am  
  
He looked at his watch. It was nearly nine in the morning before James could get the van that Renfro wanted up and running, complete with staff. He sipped his coffee and sat back in the swivel chair that was planted inside the van and next to some serious heavy equipment. He still didn't understand why, according to Renfro, he had to be the leader of this mission, he was just a local driver.   
  
Perhaps that was why he was the leader, she was giving him one more chance before she got rid of him for good. The stunt that the X5 pulled that morning made him a horrible record for letting her escape. Even though he knew deep down there was nothing that he could've done, Renfro placed the blame on him, mostly because she didn't want it herself, they both knew it too.  
  
"We'll take it from here and we'll report back to you later." Said one of the computer ops. Obviously he realized how out of place James was too. There were seven men who were in the van, some were computer geeks and others were officers ready to take the X5.   
  
"All right." He got up and hopped out of the van. "She wants you to start with Sector Nine." He sipped his coffee and stared back at them.  
  
"Why Sector Nine?" One of them asked as he hooked up a wire to a computer, instantly gaining a connection which started to hum as it warmed up.  
  
"Because that's where they tracked her down last time. Who ever you find, bring them in alive, she wants to meet everyone that's helping the X5." The others in the van nodded simply and then returned to setting up their equipment. James headed back to Renfro's office to give her the details.  
  
9:00 am  
  
The van, which was labeled "The Bug Zapper" for cover, drove out of Manticore and headed straight for Sector Nine, the high rise district.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
9:29 am  
  
"Logan? You up yet?" Bling called out as he walked into the apartment. There wasn't an answer. "Strange." He said quietly to himself as he looked at the clock. Nine thirty, Logan was usually up by then. He took off his jacket and put it on a hook before looking for Logan.  
  
As he turned into the living room, he was shocked. "Max!" He called out happily. Both her and Logan had fallen asleep on the couch. Normally he wouldn't have awoken them, but this wasn't a normal case. After waking up fully, Max got up and hugged him. "How are you?" He asked, concerned.   
  
"I'm fine." She smiled warmly at him.   
  
"For now anyway." Came Logan's gentle voice from behind her. "I don't want to be the bringer of bad news, but Renfro's not going to stop looking for you."   
  
Max thought for a moment. "I know, but they won't know where to find me."   
  
"What about that implant in your head, Max?" Logan said   
  
Max shook her head. "No, we got the van that they were tracking me with, they don't even know where to start looking. I'll be fine."  
  
"I hope you're right." He sighed.  
  
"I'm going to go make some breakfast, I'll let you know when it's ready." Bling said, noticing the hard atmosphere in the room.  
  
"Thanks Bling." Max said as she smiled gratefully at him. He returned the smile and headed off to the kitchen.  
  
Max approached Logan who was at his computer, watching it warm up. His brow was creased and furrow, deep with worry and concern. "You've got nothing to worry about, Logan." Max said soothingly as she bent down next to the chair.   
  
"Max," Logan said quietly. "I almost lost you once, I don't know what would happen if I let it again."  
  
Max shook her head slightly "But that wasn't your fault, there was nothing you could've done."  
  
"Maybe." He said quietly, barely a whisper. He shook himself out of his thoughts and then turned back to her. "I'm just glad you're back." He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. When he pulled back he looked into her eyes for a moment and then kissed her on the lips, long and tender.   
  
When they broke, they both smiled warmly at each other for a long moment. Max stood up and looked onto Logan's computer and video equipment. "I've really missed this place."   
  
"What was it like in there?" Logan said cautiously, unsure what her response would be, whether or not she'd want to talk about it. The proof was in front of him that they hadn't really successfully reprogrammed her, but what she went through, must have been ....  
  
"Hell." She said simply, her voice angered and raged.   
  
Logan nodded, understanding that if she wanted to open up to him about it, she would.   
  
9:39 am  
  
"Hey guys! Breakfast is ready!" Bling shouted from the kitchen.   
  
"Oh, I'm so looking forward to some food other than oatmeal." Max smiled happily, then both of them headed for the kitchen.   
  
As they made it halfway there, Max's warning sign flashed in her head towards the window, she spun around and grabbed Logan. "Get down!" She shouted as the windows in the penthouse were broken through and shattered to the ground, sending shards everywhere.  
  
Five men in black suits, heavily armed came into the penthouse on tethers, swinging as they descended to the floor before unhooking their belts from the ropes. Each had a machine gun strapped around their arms and over their shoulder.  
  
One of the men advanced over to Max. "We're here with orders from Madame X to take you back to Manticore."   
  



	6. Stunned

Disclaimer: I own only the story line and James. Please don't sue, the only real money I make is from cutting the lawn.   
  
Please R/R!  
  
* This chapter is dedicated to my loyal readers out there who reviewed my story and helped me with confidence to continue it. I really appreciate it! =D  
  
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THE HUNT   
Chapter Six  
Stunned  
  
  
"Well, you can think again, because I'm never going back there." Max said defiantly through clenched teeth. Logan stood behind her, taking in the scene before him while Bling had his hands in the air as two men surrounded him in the kitchen. The penthouse grew deadly silent as the men tried to anticipate Max's next move.  
  
What seemed centuries, was actually only a few suspended moments. Max thought of taking out a few of them, but soon noted the heavy artillery they carried. One wrong move, or a slip of the wrist on their part could result in Logan getting another shot. She didn't want that on her conscience again.  
  
"I'm afraid I'm under strict orders, ma'am." One man said, unclipping a pair of handcuffs from his belt. "Don't make this any harder than you have to."   
  
"What? You mean make it harder on me or you?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. She did that often, a sure sign of her aggravation. Max was surprised at how stupid some people could be. Ever since she was a child, her siblings could tell as soon as she was pissed, she would tip her head to the side.   
  
Max was snapped from her reverie as the men started to advance on her and Logan, their stun guns started to whirl as they activated them. Little red circles from the lasers fell on Max as each man in the room took aim on her. "I'll give you one more chance, you can go quietly, or--"  
  
"Bite me!" Max shouted at the guard. They'd have to pull her dead body from the penthouse to get her back to Manticore. She'd never go back there, ever!   
  
"Men," The one man turned to the others and nodded. Max's cat sense pulled on her and made her turn and pull Logan to the ground just as the stun lasers shot off. One hit Logan's exoskeleton and immediately it began to jolt his legs as a cloud of smoke rose up. Logan felt for a wire, and as soon as he found it, he pulled it out. The jumping immediately stopped and Logan was left without the use of his legs again.  
  
"Dammit." He muttered. Max pulled him behind the desk and checked them both for wounds.   
  
"Can you fix it?" She asked as she checked the guards that were approaching, her voice was rushed and worried, time wasn't on their side.   
  
"Within five seconds? No." He said as he shifted his weight and glanced over at the men that were steadily taking their time and making their way over to them. "Max. Go." He said as he turned back to her.  
  
"I'm not leaving without you." She declared.  
  
"They don't want me, I'll be fine." He smiled slightly, knowing that it wouldn't fool her.  
  
"Logan, I'm not stupid. You and I both know what they'll do to you." She paused and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'll be right back." And she jumped over the desk and landed in front of the men. "Miss me?" She asked before dropping to the ground and side swiping her leg. Three of the men fell to the ground from the trip while the last one started up his stun gun again.  
  
Max leapt up and kicked the gun out of his hand. She went for his belt and pulled out the nine millimeter that was attached in a leather case. She cocked the gun and placed it to the man's head. "All right, nobody move!"   
  
The three guards that Max had tripped froze on the ground and in their half-risen positions with their arms in the air. The ones in the kitchen that had gotten Bling did the same. "Everyone drop your weapons!" Max demanded. They did as they were told and dull thuds of numerous guns dropped to the floor. "Now, I don't know about all of you, but I sure as hell don't want to go back to a place that charges my free will as admission."   
  
When Max saw a man reaching for his gun on the floor, she took the one she had in her hand and shot it in the air. The man instantly dropped his arm and backed away. Max wasn't sure what she was going to do next, but her planning was interrupted as her cat senses picked up on foot steps coming up the staircase. Small and short, barely audible. They were the feet of soldiers.   
  
Manticore soldiers.  
  
Before Max could react, Logan's front door flew open and a dozen of Manticore's X7 paraded into the room, all heading for Max. She immediately let go of the man she was holding hostage, but that only led to the guards reaching for their fallen guns.   
  
Logan shut his eyes and slumped back against the desk. It was over. There was no way that three people, two mobile and one handicapped could take seven guards and a dozen Manticore kids. Unless....maybe. Logan went into his front pocket, pulled out his cell and frantically started to dial a number.  
  
The X7's wasted no time and jumped on Max the moment they got the chance. She had the advantage of being taller and older, plus better trained, but there were more of them. Suddenly, they all backed off for a moment and Max realized too late of the whirling sound of a stun gun turning on and firing. Max fell to the floor in a heap. Her eyes became very heavy as a strong tingling feeling flew over her entire body. Her eyes finally shut on her and she fell into blackness.  



	7. Mind Games

Disclaimer: Yadda, yadda, yadda, you know what I own and don't.  
  
Please R/R!!   
  
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THE HUNT  
Chapter Seven  
Mind Games  
  
Max woke up with an instant start. She sat straight up, but found it difficult as soon as her head started to ache and make her dizzy. She felt queasy and tired. Max tried to look around the room she was in, but it was dark and her vision was all ready blurred.  
  
"Easy, little sister." Came a soothing voice from her right. Max turned her head and found Krit standing there, a small smile on his face. "Just relax. You took a couple of watts back there." Max nodded and rested her head back down on the pillow. After less than a minute, she shot back up, instantly wincing and grabbing her head. "Hey, what did I tell you?" Krit said softly.   
  
"No, I have to go back for Logan." Max said through the pain. She tried to get off the bed, but a combination of her dizziness and Krit's hand clamped over her arm made it impossible. She fell back gently onto the bed, almost immediately feeling better. Krit sat down on the bed next to her and sighed.  
  
"You can't. They got him." He looked down, knowing that Max was going to be furious. He was right.  
  
"What!?" She nearly yelled. "I have to go get him." She sat up, only to be pushed down again by her brother.  
  
"You just got out of there, Maxie! It's a miracle you're even alive!"   
  
"I don't care, I have to get him." She said through clenched teeth, making it obvious that Krit wasn't going to win this argument. Not many of her siblings ever did with her.   
  
"Fine!" Krit agreed finally. "Just get some rest. Then we'll help you. We gotta get Zack out of there too. Syl and I have been planning for a while how to get him out." He said with a smile. It soon faded as he saw Max's eyes water.  
  
"It's no use. Zack's dead." She cried. Her hot tears streamed down her face and into her ears. Salty tracks formed after the tears and made her skin tight. She wanted to wipe them away, but found that she couldn't.   
  
"How?" Krit asked as tears started to form in his as well.   
  
"He saved me." Was all that she could manage as she choked out a sob. Max leaned up and hugged Krit, both stayed there for a while, neither moving.   
  
"Hey, what's going on?" Syl asked as she walked into the room. Krit and Max exchanged glances as they broke their embrace.   
  
"Zack didn't make it." Krit said simply, Syl understanding perfectly. She bit her lip and tried to hold in her emotions, but it was incredibly hard.   
  
Max coughed and stiffened, deciding to lighten the mood and change the subject. "How did you guys get me?" Max asked as she finally wiped away the tears.  
  
Krit cleared his throat and turned back to her. "It wasn't so hard when you get a phone call telling you what's up." He smiled and brought out his cell phone.   
  
"We thought we'd join the party." Syl concluded. "But, we couldn't get Logan or that other guy out."   
  
"Bling." She said in place of 'the other guy'. "What I don't understand is -- why not just kill Logan and Bling?" Max was completely happy that it didn't happen, but was curious why they were treated differently than most people who had learned information about Manticore.  
  
"They know too much." Syl said simply. "I'll bet ya, Manticore wants to know what they know."  
  
The pieces were starting to fit together. "Logan knows where all the X5's are." She shook her head. She should've known he'd get in deep with all that sitting on his computer!   
  
"He's in trouble." Krit said as he looked at his siblings. "Looks like we're going back home, guys."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Logan opened his eyes as he woke, only to find that a blindfold blocked his vision. He tried to bring his hands up to take it off, but they were tied down behind the chair he was put in. Logan shook his head and tried to clear the dizziness that plagued him, but it only made it worse.  
  
"Well, look what we have here, men." A female voice spoke. From his ample searches and files, he easily identified it as Renfro, also known as Madame X. "It seems we have caught the famous, Eyes Only." She chuckled, but Logan mused it to be more of a witch's cackle.  
  
When Logan didn't respond, Renfro roughly took off his blindfold. He instantly winced at the blinding light that hung above him. An interrogation room. There were three cameras in the room, at least the ones that he found. There were two guards posted at the door and of course, the bitch herself, Renfro. The room was small and only had the chair he sat in, the bright lamp above and the cameras. It was painted entirely white and had a mirror placed on the wall in front of him.  
  
"Why don't you be a good boy, and tell me where my X5's are." Renfro said sweetly as she leaned down by Logan. He didn't make eye contact with her, he instead kept his eyes on the mirror. He could tell just by the way it was hung and where it was placed that there were men behind it, listening to their conversation.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Logan said and almost sounded convincing.  
  
"I think you do. You've been helping X5-4 ... ah, Max. Why don't you tell me a little about her?"   
  
"I've never met a 'Max' before in my life." Logan pronounced Max's name slowly, like it was a foreign word to him. His eyes finally became adjusted to the light and so he hung his head back.   
  
"Don't play games with me, or I'll make you regret it." Renfro hissed in Logan's ear.  
  
"Oh, I'm not playing games, I'm simply telling you the truth." Logan said, shrugging.  
  
Renfro sneered at Logan, but he thought it more to be a snarl. She motioned over to her guards. "Take him back to his cell, I'll deal with him later. Maybe then, he'll be ready to talk." The two guards grabbed Logan and dragged him out of the room. Without his exoskeleton working, there was nothing he could do to stop it.  
  
After they left, another guard came in and approached Renfro. She sat down in the chair that Logan had just occupied and rested her face on her hands. She sighed and then acknowledged the guard.   
  
"What do you want us to do with the captives, ma'am?" He asked.   
  
Renfro ran her hands down her face and then through her hair. She could feel a headache begin and wasn't too pleased with the second escape of her X5 within two days. "Get him ready for psychoactives."   
  
"What? Are you sure, ma'am? Those are only safe to use on the X5 series, and even then it's not that stable." He said  
  
"I don't care. He knows where my X5s are and I want to know as well. Especially X5-452. Now, prepare the room." She ordered, her voice raising.  
  
"You're sure, ma'am? It could kill him." He asked again, this was practically going to be like electrocuting the guy. Last time they used it, it was on X5-599 and he barely lived.   
  
"I don't care. He had his chance. Now get the God damn room ready!" She shouted. The guard nodded swiftly and left the room. After a moment, Renfro left the room as well and headed towards her office. She was going to find out where her X5s were, and no one was going to stand in her way.   
  
  
  



	8. Red Light

A/N: I didn't think it would take me this long to write another chapter, sorry about the delay. Wow, we're coming down to the end all ready! Phew!  
  
Disclaimer: You know what I own and what I don't.  
  
Please R/R!  
  
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THE HUNT  
Chapter Eight  
Red Light  
  
  
As soon as Max began to feel better again, her and her siblings started to prepare to invade Manticore, once again. Guns were spread out onto the table like candy, numerous and in different shapes. Krit and Syl were loading a few machine guns while Max stayed in the back and watched from high on top of some old crates.   
  
Syl and Krit had been hiding out in an abandoned warehouse for the past months. From there they had easy access to artillery, maps, and contact with Logan. It wasn't the most comfortable place to stay, but it had proven safe for them. They both felt renewed and joyed to have their younger sibling back and alive, but it was a constant damper to think about never being watched and protected by Zack again. They were alone and seemingly helpless again without him. It was a new emptiness they all faced, having to go on without their bigger brother.  
  
"Here Maxie," Syl tossed a handgun over to her and continued to set hers. Her hands were starting to hurt from having to load so many guns within a short period of time, they were raw and sore. She ignored the pain and continued to clean and prepare the semiautomatic she was working on.  
  
"No," Max said as she tossed the gun onto the table after looking it over briskly. "I don't do guns." She crossed her arms and looked defiantly down at Syl and Krit.  
  
"Max, take it." Krit ordered as he looked from her to the gun, and then back at her. Max was surprised to hear how much he was starting to sound like Zack. She figured that since Zack was gone, he was the next oldest in line, kinda like an heir or something. Male testosterone.   
  
"No." She shook her head. "I hate those things. Besides," She said as she jumped off her perch and next to Krit. "I don't need them."   
  
"Max," He sighed. "You can't depend on your strength to save you every time. Guards at Manticore are heavily armed and wont be bashful to use them." He picked up the gun and handed it back to Max. The next time he spoke, it was almost a whisper. "We almost lost you once before, I don't want it to happen again."   
  
Max stiffened and took the gun, something in the way Krit was talking made her reach out and grab it. She tucked it in the front of her belt, instantly feeling uncomfortable with it. Yes, Krit had a point, it was better that she was armed, but she still couldn't get over seeing Eva dead on the ground every time she touched a gun. It was too creepy and a horrible reminder of how several of her siblings were lost.   
  
Syl and Krit finished loading the guns, cocked a few and slung them over their shoulders. The group threw them into the trunk of an old beat up convertible and jumped in. Krit sat in the driver's seat with Syl next to him, while Max hopped into the back and sat herself in the middle.   
  
"You guys ready?" Krit asked as he started the engine. It stuttered for a moment, but then roared to life. Syl and Max looked at each other and nodded with a smirk.   
  
"I really appreciate you both doing this." Max said sincerely as she looked at each of them.  
  
"A friend's need, Little Sis. He's done a lot to help us, it's time we paid him back." Syl said with a gentle smile.   
  
Max smiled wholeheartedly. "All right, let's go." And the convertible sped off down the road of Seattle and headed for Manticore.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
Logan tested his restraints the moment he woke up from another batch of tranquilizers. They were tight and thick, almost impossible to rip through at all. But, that's what he had suspected. Everything at Manticore had to be ultra strong to be able to hold against the children they 'made'. For the first time, he felt a little annoyed that he was being treated like one, but at the same time wish he was.  
  
The exoskeleton had been taken off of him to prevent him from even attempting to fix the minor fuse break. That angered and annoyed him even more, to be left without a mode of transportation or escape. Logan pulled on the straps again, but the didn't move an inch.   
  
He sighed exasperatedly and dropped his head back onto the pillow. After a moment, he took the opportunity to check his surroundings, but as he did that, he was instantly regretful that he did. As he craned his neck off the bed, he saw there was a monitor that was a few feet away and he realized that he was hooked up to it. The screen was blank and silent.   
  
Then Logan saw a small table that had surgical tools, to his disdain, most of them were needles. He hated needles. Logan fell back on to the pillow again and stared at the ceiling. He was going to need a miracle to get out of all of this.   
  
Suddenly the automatic doors opened with a whoosh and the devil herself walked in followed by two of her henchmen. Logan sighed and let his eyes wander over to her after a moment of watching the men she was with. The each carried guns, several in fact. Did they really believe he was going to be a threat to them? It almost made him laugh.  
  
"Are we ready to talk?" Madame X said nicely as she leaned down by Logan. When he didn't respond, Renfro nodded to herself and sat down on a swivel chair close to his bed. "You can make this very hard on yourself if you don't talk. I suggest you save yourself from it. Talk to me." Still, Logan didn't say a word. "All right, have it your way. But remember, I gave you a chance."   
  
Renfro snapped her fingers and the two men wheeled a large laser over Logan. It was silver and circular shaped and had a small pinpoint in the middle for the beam to come out of. One man hit the switch on the monitor and it began to beat, rapid and monotonous. A line was illustrated on it, quickly going up and down to the beat.  
  
"My, my." Renfro said as she looked from the monitor to Logan. "Your heart is beating a mile a minute. You wouldn't be afraid, now would you?" She teased in his ear. Logan had to fight the urge to spit right in her face, as he considered it more and more, it didn't seem like such a bad idea. But, his opportunity was lost, almost as if she knew what he was thinking.  
  
Renfro pulled away with a smile as she watched him and went over to the laser that was now positioned right above Logan's face. The two men began to strap some equipment onto his face, pulling back the muscles in his mouth and eyes, instantly making them sore and tender. He fought again with the straps that held his arms and legs. Renfro watched and began to giggle.  
  
"You're not serious are you?" She asked him, motioning over to his attempt to escape the restraints. "My X series can't even break them. What makes you think that you can?" Logan ceased trying to break the straps and watched in complete fear and nausea as Renfro picked up a needle and extracted some liquid from a small bottle.   
  
She squirted some into the air to be sure that it worked properly and them came over to Logan. He realized that his forearm was facing up and exposing his arm for a clean entry for whatever she wanted to put into him. The laser beam was suddenly turned on and glared directly into he eye. It felt warm and inviting, comfortable and clear all at the same time.   
  
He felt a small pinch as Renfro injected the fluid into his arm and had a fatigue sense of hearing as one of the men told her not to do it at the last second. Saying that she was going to kill him with it. Logan wanted to fight, he tried to, but suddenly everything became very hazy, and he fell in.  



	9. Traps and Pizza

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, the 'King of the World' guy does. If I did, I'd be very happily working on the next season and wouldn't be going insane with wait.  
  
Please R/R -- it means a lot to me!  
  
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THE HUNT  
Chapter Nine  
Traps and Pizza  
  
  
"Explain to me, once again, why it wasn't successful." Renfro sighed as she sat down at her desk and rubbed her temples. It had been an exceptionally long day, filled with failure and loss.   
  
"Well, Ma'am," The doctor began as he played with a pen he was holding to keep eyes contact off of her. "First of all, he showed high resistance and we..." He paused, waiting for the dragon to bite.  
  
"You ... what?" Renfro asked slowly as her gaze moved from the shining black top of her desk to the doctor's eyes. He was shifting and averting contact with her, an obvious sign of a hidden detail that he didn't ever plan to reveal.   
  
"We didn't give him the dosage we would normally give an X5 before you started the psychoactives, Ma'am." His head bowed to the ground and he studied his feet. This was the worst day of his life. He saves a poor guy from dying and practically ends up in his place. The first chance he got, he was high tailing it out of that place.   
  
"What!?" She nearly screamed making the doctor wince away. She stood up from her desk in fury and approached the doctor. He was a few inches taller than her, but still cowered like a dog. That made her feel a little better.   
  
"Ma'am," He began as he recovered some of his shattered pride. "If we would've given him the full amount, it would have killed him. We thought--"  
  
"I didn't hire you to think!" She shouted in his face as she cut him off mid-sentence. "I hired you to do the work I order you to do!" She retorted before moving back behind her desk. When she did continue after a long silence, it was through clenched teeth. "The fate of Manticore rests in the lives of those remaining X5s that escaped in '09. Without X5-599, we don't have anyone but Mr. Cale to fill us in on those details."   
  
"I understand that Ma'am, but--"  
  
"But nothing!" She yelled, completely irritated by his lack of concern for Manticore and his wavering loyalty to her. Renfro was all ready planning on sending him out on the next 'training' game for the X7s as the prey. A wisp of a smile penetrated her mouth as her thoughts shifted over to the plan of his demise. When she finally snapped back to reality, her temper began to boil again. "I don't care if it DOES kill him, we are going to proceed with the psychoactives again. I have to know what he knows. He is not valuable to us otherwise."  
  
She dismissed him with a simple hand wave and was planning on the next phase of psychoactives for the morning. He was only human, she had to remind herself, not one of her X series. As she thought back to her recent conversation with the dense doctor, an idea dawned on her. She immediately began sorting through her files until she pulled out one that Lydecker had filled out, not too long ago.  
  
She flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. A smile of triumph flooded her face and made her laugh. She had what she needed to get back X5-452 without Cale spilling anything to her. Of course, she would still use psychoactives on him later on to reveal the other X5s, but this was the one she wanted most. It was the X5 that had escaped her grasp more than once and she wanted nothing than to bring her back to Manticore.   
  
Renfro sat down in her chair and leaned back. Being so intrigued and happy with her sudden plan, she couldn't help but read aloud. "The infamous 'Eyes Only' has led Manticore to believe that he is protecting the X5s, namely X5-452. The dialogue between 'Eyes Only' and one Colonel Lydecker in the previous months showed signs of infatuation between the two." There was more, but it was dribble and she didn't waste her time to continue.  
  
She finished reading and shut the portfolio. Eyes Only was Cale, and X5-452 was 'Max'. There was something deep going on between them and that's what she'd use to get her X5 back. Now and forever.  
  
"I've got you now, my X5. I thought we taught you better than to get yourself involved with someone. It can make you weak, and ... vulnerable." She paused and put her hands behind her head as she leaned back in her chair. Renfro sighed. "Perfect."   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
"All right, so what do we have?" Max asked as she scarfed a slice of pizza down. She handed the box to Syl, who sat comfortably in the front seat of the car, and she took a piece. She then passed the box to Krit who was scouting out the land before them with some infrared binoculars.   
  
"There are a few guards posted, nothing we can't handle." He said with a smile. "Since Logan's temporarily busy at the moment, we don't have any lead on the inside security. I never thought I'd say this, but it's a shame Lydecker's not here."   
  
"Don't ever say that." Max snapped instantly. Both Syl and Krit looked back to her in awe. She was the one that was favoring him out of all of them to start with. "I still think that he 'forgot' to tell us about the X7s on purpose." Both her siblings nodded at the thought, it was possible. Lydecker never wanted to see an end to Manticore, it was his life's work. He claimed that he wanted to do it to stop Renfro, but there was a tinge of false claim in his words.   
  
"Anyway," Krit continued after a moment of hushed silence. He took a bit of pizza and swallowed. "We shouldn't have too much trouble if we can find both of them and get out before were detected."   
  
"We need to get into the mainframe of the security cameras." Syl said, noting on their detection without doing so. Krit and Max nodded simultaneously. Before Krit was going to ask who would do it, Syl answered. "I can do it, I watched Logan do it the last time." Krit looked at her with some doubtfulness and then she added, "Piece of cake." She shrugged. Syl knew it wouldn't settle Krit's nerves, but he had to trust her.  
  
"All right. Then Syl, you take out security, while Krit, you find Logan and Bling." Max said as she crunched up the empty pizza box before tossing it into the woods.  
  
"Then, Max ... where are you going?" Krit asked as he and Syl exchanged worried glances.   
  
"I'm going after the bitch that killed Tinga." She said with venom practically pouring from her mouth. "If you thought Lydecker was obsessed with his passion to catch us, you don't have any idea about this psycho. She wants us all in cages and under the microscope until we stop breathing for good. And not because we're her 'kids' but because we're the only thing keeping Manticore alive and kicking." Syl and Krit looked down for a moment, neither wanting to think about the reality of what would happen if they ever did get caught, even though it constantly loomed in their minds.   
  
"Let's do it." Syl took a deep breath and smiled at her siblings.  
  
"Last time, it was for Tinga," Max started solemnly. "This time, it's for Zack."   
  
  
  
  



	10. Intruders

Disclaimer: Blah blah, yadda yadda  
  
Don't be shy!  
Please R/R!  
  
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THE HUNT  
Chapter Ten  
Intruders  
  
  
Max, Syl and Krit crept onto Manticore grounds, each instantly feeling their own mixed emotions. Most filled with hate, rage, anger and a little bit of fear wrapped all together. Max had a heavy feeling on déjà vu as her and her two siblings stood on the hill that overlooked Manticore and felt a tinge of sadness in her as she realized again they were one short since the last time they attempted to enter Manticore. She could tell from Syl and Krit's crestfallen expressions that they were thinking the same thing.  
  
Manticore.  
  
It was Hell. It was a prison. It was a place that all of them never wanted to see again, but always crept into their nightmares of the past. The training they went through. The losses they endured. The missions they were forced to complete. It was all part of their childhood, the years they spent together growing up for nine years. And there they were, again.   
  
The breakout in '09 was filled with worry and concerns for the lost siblings they had, and the ones they had lost touch with as soon as the leapt the gate. Lydecker hunted them down up until previously, but loosing him on their heels only placed a new dictator that proved even worse in their struggle for freedom.  
  
It hurt every one of them knowing that they couldn't allow any one to get close to them, to know their secret of the past, to know what they had to go through in fear of what might happen if Manticore got in the wind. Keeping emotions bottled up for years to keep themselves safe and the ones around them constantly played and weaken on their own reserves and mind. It was this one place that drilled years of battle skills and techniques when most kids their age were playing with toys and going to a normal school.  
  
It was time to take this bitch down for good and to kill the evil queen that lived inside. All three of them standing on the hill knew what the consequences would be if they were caught and were scared to death of them. Those fears constantly zoomed around in their minds, but were forced out each time they threatened to over power their thoughts. It was time. They couldn't run forever, and certainly didn't want to.   
  
Syl, Max and Krit each exchanged glances before Krit gave the silent signal to move in. As her siblings started off, Max hung back a bit and grinned, Zack and him were so much a like, she had never really noticed it until now. She shook her head and brought herself back into the game. It was time to get Logan out of there and stop Madame X for good.  
  
All three jumped the gate with ease and entered the compound by the same side door they had used the last time. After Max silently shut the door, they crouched together and prepared their invasion.  
  
"All right," Krit whispered. "You both ready?" He asked and Syl and Max nodded in reply. "Syl, you go straight for security. We'll give you three minutes to disable the cameras before we move in, we can't wait any longer." Syl nodded and wasted no more time. She quietly snuck down the hall with her back pressed to the wall and her senses alert.  
  
Once Syl vanished down the corridor, Krit started his stopwatch and then turned to Max who was still watching the hall. "Okay Maxie, are you sure you want to tackle Renfro?" He asked in more of a big brother tone than her commanding officer. Max nodded briskly, determination and anger mixed together on her complexion. Krit sighed gently. "Fine, then I'll head to Sector B to get Logan and Bling. Where are you going to find Renfro?"   
  
"Sector D." Max said simply. Kit looked at her with confusion. "Krit, I was stuck here for two months, I think I know where her office is." She said exasperatedly. Before Krit could ask anymore questions, his alarm beeped on his watch, pulling them both to reality.   
  
"You know what to do, move out." He whispered. Max nodded and her and Krit set off in different directions. Both hoping that Syl was able to shut down the security. Both hoping that they wouldn't run into the X7s. Both hoping they would all live to see each other again.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
"What are my orders in regard to Mr. Cale, Ma'am?" Brin asked as she entered Renfro's office. Renfro was sipping her steaming coffee and reading the newspaper. It was early in the morning, perhaps four thirty, but she didn't mind. Like her X5s, she didn't sleep as much as normal people would. She put her drink and paper down as Brin entered and smiled. If there was hope that she was successfully changed back into the warrior she was designed to be, there was going to be no problem with the others.   
  
"Leave him be for the time, within a few days I will resume psychoactives." Renfro said briskly. Brin nodded and continued.  
  
"I was given the information that psychoactives were going to be used again this morning, Ma'am." She said trying to clear her confusion about the sudden change.  
  
"The plan has shifted since that arrangement was made when new reports and documentations were found regarding X5-452. Since the psychoactives could possibly terminate Mr. Cale, we have to withdraw on them for the time being. We need him alive a healthy to lure X5-452 back to the compounds." Renfro said with a smile.  
  
"I am to understand that Mr. Cale is being used as military bait, Ma'am?"   
  
"That's correct. Any other questions?"   
  
"No, Ma'am. Thank you for your time." Brin saluted Renfro and marched out of the room with military precision. Renfro leaned back in her chair and sipped her drink again with a smile.   
  
Renfro flipped her computer screen on and started to boot up her computer. As the screen came into focus, she went into the mainframe of the security files to check on Logan. When the multiple pictures popped up, she focused on the one with Logan, sitting idly in his cell.   
  
When she backed her face away from the screen, her peripheral vision caught something moving with cat like grace down the hall that led to her office. When she turned her attention to that frame, the image was gone and was suddenly replace by the empty halls. Renfro shook her head, and decided she was obviously seeing things. "Maybe I should get some more sleep." She said to herself and took another gulp of her drink.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
Syl grabbed the gun out of the pouch that was attached to the unconscious guard that rested on the ground at her feet. She smiled smugly and immediately began to hack into the computer mainframe. Having almost little difficulty, she shot a frame for each of them before feeding it into the computers memory to constantly repeat the images.   
  
She sighed as she got it just in time as Max came onto the camera. At the sound of footsteps, Syl jumped over the desk and hid behind the door, just as two guards came in, armed and ready to find out what had been happening.  
  
When they entered, Syl jumped out of her hiding place and kicked one of the guards harshly in the stomach, sending him backwards and crashing into the conjoining wall. He slumped down and was still. The second guard proved to be more difficult as she made him fall to the floor, but he grabbed Syl's ankle from the ground and twisted it, sending her sprawling down. When she found her leverage, she hit the guard on the back of the head with her free foot, rendering him unconscious along with his friends.  
  
Syl got up, feeling a slight pain in her foot but ignored it. She grabbed their guns and put a silencer on of the millimeters. She shot three bullets into the computers phone line and sector police emergency signal. She took on last look around at the crumpled guards on the ground before leaving the security room and locking the automatic door behind her. Syl headed down the hall with a slight limp towards Sector B to help Krit and hoped that everything would go according to plan.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
Max crept down the hall with excellent precision. Her training skills always seemed to come in handy at times when she needed them most. As she cornered the last bend before Renfro's office, her cat senses went off and warned her of an enemy behind her.  
  
When Max whirled around, she came face to face with Brin who immediately took Max's arm and twisted it behind her back. Max crouched down as far as she could and leapt over Brin's head. In the sudden motion, Brin's grip came undone and she turned around to battle Max.  
  
Max anticipated this move and so she quickly sunk down to the floor and sideswiped Brin's feet. She lost her balance and fell to the ground with a dull thud. Max got up and put Brin in a helpless headlock, so she couldn't move or create any type of defense against the hold. She waved her arms around wildly and tried to get a useful grip on Max, but the position she was in made her completely weak.  
  
The blood wasn't reaching her head as her oxygen was being cut off from Max's hold on her neck. She could feel her temples throb with the beat of her heart and felt the heat rush to her face as it turned red. She tried to cough and breathe, but nothing happened. It suddenly became black and her vision was gone. She slumped in Max's arms and fell into unconsciousness.  
  
Max sighed, that was one less problem she had to worry about. "I'm sorry that is came to this," She whisper to the sleeping Brin. "I gave you a chance." Max looked at her sleeping sibling one last time before going back down the hall towards Renfro's office. From the light that was shining from under the door, she could tell that she was still inside and was not suspecting Max's oncoming attack.   
  
As Max came within a few feet of Renfro's door, she stopped and looked at her hand that held the gun. It was shaking violently and making the gun wobble in her grasp. She tried to stop it, but before long, her entire body was wracking in trembles.   
  
"No, no! Not now." She whispered dismally to herself. She clutched her side and fell against the wall, slowly sliding down it to the floor. Her body didn't stop convulsing and she closed her eyes in horrible realization. Max was having a seizure.   
  
  
  



	11. Footsteps

Disclaimer: You know the drill.  
  
Please R/R!  
I promise it won't hurt!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
THE HUNT  
Chapter Eleven  
Footsteps  
  
Krit slowly wound the corner and entered Sector D. He crept through the hallway and past the several empty cells. The corridor echoed with footsteps and children yelling, but he couldn't determine whether they were from an X series practicing or his own memories. His mind got lightheaded for a moment and when he shut his eyes to let the temporary feeling pass, he was recalling memories of fighting and training.  
  
//Children chanting. Lydecker yelling. Kicking. Screaming. Order. Obey. Discipline. Holding breath under water. Killing. Guns shooting. Death.//  
  
Krit shook his head in effort to clear his mind and stop the horrible memories, but as he looked around the halls, everything he hoped that he had forgotten in his long battle with Manticore, suddenly came flying back. It hit him like a freight train; all the gruesome memories of Manticore as he tried to fight them.   
  
//My siblings, their deaths, the Escape. Tinga. Zack. Eva. Ben. How many more? Can't think about that. Focus on the mission.   
  
Stop sounding like Lydecker!   
  
He wants me to act and think like that. I was designed to think like that. I don't want to. It's not me. It's not who I am. But, it's what I am doing right now. Stop!//  
  
Krit shook his head again and continued to walk silently down the hall. He tried to think positively and remember the good times that he had over the years. Like when he was reunited with Zack and Syl. When he knew he was accepted for who he was, not WHAT he was. Krit was broken out of his reverie as a desperate whisper sounded near the cell he was by.  
  
He caught a man pressed up to the bars of his cell, waving him over. As Krit approached, he placed one finger to his mouth, ordering the man to be quiet. As he came to the cell, he realized that the man must be Bling.   
  
"I'm going to get you out," He whispered as he went over to the lock. Krit glanced around and noticed that Logan wasn't anywhere nearby. Since they weren't creations of Manticore, Krit couldn't see a reason why they'd separate the two by more than one cell. Unless ... they had other plans for Logan. The lock finally snapped open and Krit let Bling out before re-locking the cell. "Where's Logan?" Krit asked.  
  
"I don't know, they took him away last night." Bling said softly as he too glanced around. Krit motioned for Bling to follow them as the silently went down the hall. Suddenly, Krit's arm flew up and he made Bling halt in his tracks. Bling was going to question why they stopped, he couldn't hear anything, but then realized again that Krit had special capabilities like Max.   
  
Sure enough after a few more seconds passed, he could also hear the faint tapping of feet as they swiftly moved down the hall towards them. Then, the sound stopped, at what seemed, just around the corner. When Krit leapt around it, guns ready and all, Bling prepared to hear a fight, but heard nothing. After a long moment, he came from around the side to see what was happening and saw Krit calmly talking quietly to a young girl with long blond hair, slim and agile. Another X5.  
  
"I got Bling, but there's no trace of Logan." Krit informed her.   
  
"Psychoactives?" Syl asked doubtfully. She didn't want to believe it, but it was possible. She had known that they had tried them on Zack with little success, but if they tried it on Logan, they wouldn't be sure if he was even still alive. Krit nodded his head.  
  
"It's the only place they would take him." Krit decided.   
  
"Where's Max?" Bling finally spoke up as he felt the tension building in the air.   
  
"She went to handle Madame X." Krit said. When he mentioned it, it clicked in his head like a tiny reminder. "Speaking on which, why don't you go there Syl to help her, we'll look for Logan. Meet us back at the car." Syl nodded and ran around the corner. Krit saw her favoring her ankle a bit, but let it slide. It could be worse, much worse. Krit motioned for Bling to follow him again and they left to find Logan.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After almost five minutes Max's seizure didn't calm, nor did it make her stop trembling. It was one of the worst ones she had experienced in a long time. Without Tryptophan or even a little milk, she was helpless and sick. Her body continued to convulse and Max found herself practically laying on the ground. She was curled up in a fetal position and aching all over.   
  
Her head bumped the ground with each shake that her body made, resulting in a dull pain that transpired on the side of her temple. Max tried as hard as she could to stay silent, but every now and then a small groan or gasp escaped her throat. Her fingers became numb from pain and soon she also lost feeling in her toes. Her eyes were watering from the pain that began to take over and she held against slipping into a blackout. She couldn't afford it now.  
  
Max was only a few feet from Renfro's door and as she watched it, she saw the light suddenly become blocked by a pair of feet that were approaching the door.   
  
//Damn! If she finds me now .... //   
  
But Max couldn't finish that thought as another series of quaking trembles threatened to knock her out. Just when she was about to close her eyes from her fatigue, her senses became faintly alert and she turned towards the hall she had came in from. One set of footsteps were coming quickly her way.  
  
//No .... Brin.//   
  
She thought. Max gathered herself up into a sitting position, her legs were curled under her and she leaned against the wall in support. She was in no shape to tangle with Brin again. This was it. It was over. She was going to be forced to become one of them again.   
  
Finally, the owner of the feet rounded the bend after what seemed an eternity of waiting. Max tried to make herself look as strong as she could but the wracking convulsions took that away. To Max's absolute joy, Syl came down the hall and thankfully not Brin. Max sighed quietly in relief as her sister rushed over to her seeing her seizing.   
  
"Are you okay, Maxie?" Syl whispered as she crouched down next to her and started digging through her pockets.  
  
"Never ... better." She gasped out in between shakes. Max tried as hard as she could to focus on Syl, but her vision was becoming blurred and distorted. There were three cloudy Syls next to her, not one.  
  
"Here, take them." She handed a few small white pills to Max who downed them quickly without a second thought.   
  
"Tryptophan." She said with a smile as her seizures calmed down a bit. She felt feeling return to her fingers and toes while her vision improved.   
  
"I always keep some handy. Just in case." She whispered with a wink. After a minute when Syl was sure that Max was all right, she helped her stand up. Max stood up with little difficulty, almost immediately fully recovering from her seizures. Syl was amazed by the sudden change in Max's health. Whenever she had seizures, the aftermath lasted for hours.  
  
Max saw her sister's confusion and shrugged it off. "I've always been a fast healer." She said softly. The pain was still coarsing through her body, but she didn't say anything. She ha dto be in perfect health, no this. Max shook her head and concentrated.  
  
Just as Max and Syl turned to go towards Renfro's office, they heard the door whoosh open and Renfro stepped out looking at some papers in a portfolio, reading them with a smile. The smile faded as she looked up and saw Max and Syl standing together in their best defensive stances. The portfolio dropped to the floor as Renfro ran into her office. She dashed over behind her desk and hit a small red button that was mantled to the side. Instantly, a red light started to flash and a large siren started to wail.  
  
All of Manticore was now awake and coming to get them.  
  



	12. Trapped

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the story itself.   
  
Please R/R!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
THE HUNT  
Chapter Twelve  
Trapped  
  
  
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Bling asked Krit as they went down another long empty hallway, their soft footsteps echoing slightly with each pace. Krit looked back at Bling and gave him an exasperated expression before nodding sarcastically. After a few more moments of carefully walking down the corridor, Krit stopped. "It should be around here some where."   
  
But he wasn't able to continue his slow search as a red flashing light went off above their heads and a high beeping siren wailed. A quick flashback to Krit smashing through the Manticore window along side his siblings ran through his mind at the sound of the alarm.   
  
//Shards of glass pierced his skin as the window shattered to millions of pieces. He met the cold snowy ground within a suspended moment and tucked; rolling gracefully on the snow to a stop. Siblings spread out everywhere, some all ready dead from gunshots.   
  
Bam!  
  
Another one down. Blood everywhere. Zack's arm flailing about and giving orders. Dogs barking and waiting to be unleashed. Lydecker. The want to snap his neck for killing Eva clouded his mind for a minute before following Zack's orders into the black night, wondering who, if any, would make it.//  
  
He turned almost instantly to the room closest to them and entered, pulling Bling in none so gently. They ducked into the storage closet just in time as some Manticore guards came rushing by, all armed and covered in artillery. Both Krit and Bling were silent as they stayed ducked under the window of the door in the dark closet. When the passing footsteps faded away, Krit moved Bling to the corner of the closet and waited. When his senses didn't alert him to any dangerous behavior or warning sounds, he walked through the door and told Bling to wait for him.   
  
"I'm not just going to sit in here!" Bling whispered loudly.   
  
"It'll be all right, just wait. I'll be back soon." Krit glanced around and then turned back to Bling who was now standing in the corner of the closet. "Just stay here and keep quiet."   
  
Krit walked away cautiously and hurried down the hall. With the absent presence, the closet door shut with a low whoosh. Krit glanced through every window of each door, searching for the one that held Logan. When he had nearly reached the end of the hall, he saw Logan inside a large room, hooked up to numerous pieces of equipment. Krit felt himself become a tad nauseous at the thought of all the testings he had to endure like a common lab rat when he had his stay at Manticore.   
  
Krit shook his head and reminded himself to keep focused. He pushed a small button on the side of the door and it immediately went open. Logan looked up from the bed he was strapped to, instant relief flooded his face and turned into a small grin.   
  
"You have no idea how good it is to see you." Logan said with a sigh. Krit didn't exchange his joyous attitude.   
  
"What did you tell them?" Krit asked as he approached the bed, his fists clenched. He hadn't realized how confrontational he would be when he finally did find Logan, and it surprised him. But the well being of his siblings mattered more to him than anything and if anyone put them endanger, he wasn't going to sit idly by and watch harm come to them.  
  
"I didn't tell them anything." Logan said truthfully. When Krit didn't answer, Logan pulled on his straps. "Can you help me with these?" Finally Krit shifted his eyes away from Logan's face and down to the restraints that held his arms and legs in place.   
  
  
Krit began to untie them, some resent building up in his throat. "If they've been compromised, I need to know right now." He said as one arm strap came undone and he moved towards the other. He was even surprised to find how much like Zack he was starting to sound like.   
  
"I'm telling you, I didn't say anything." Logan ripped his arm out of the restraint and, with effort, put himself in a sitting position and moved to undo his legs. Why they had held his legs down in the first place amazed him, it wasn't like he was going to be walking out of there anytime soon. "Go get my exoskeleton. They put it in a closet in the corner, back there." He grunted as he undid the last strap and pointed to the corner of the room. "What's going on out there?" He asked as Krit brought the exoskeleton over to him.  
  
"Manticore doesn't seem to like intruders in the night." Krit joked lightly. He could feel the tension building in the air from his previous accusation and wanted to relieve it somewhat. He knew that if Max could trust him, he could too. Logan easily got the exoskeleton on, but it refused to start. He took off a small side panel and began to work with the wires that were entwined inside the casing. Krit began to feel impatient.  
  
"What are you doing?" He asked as he rushed over to the door to check for guards.  
  
"Some wires were damaged when I was first brought in, it'll only take a few more minutes." Logan said, hoping that he wasn't bluffing. The electronic waves were disrupted and caused a malfunction; resulting in the shutdown it had faced. If he could switch some wires around properly, it would work. He just needed to find the right wires.   
  
"I don't think we have that much time." Krit said pessimistically. "Are you sure it'll work?" He asked as his impatience grew.  
  
"Yes," He answered with clear preoccupation across his face, his voice distant and in thought. "In theory."   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Syl rushed into Renfro's office and locked the door behind her. Max, her and the evil queen were locked into one room together. Syl kinda liked that thought, especially when the power was in their court. Renfro looked like a deer in the headlights, her own X5s, cornering her in her office. How ironic.  
  
Syl had a small grin on her face, somewhat devilish and proud. As she turned to look at Max for confidence, it was horribly shattered. Even though she still held her fighting stance, her eyes were drooping and she was struggling them to keep open. Syl slightly shook her head, Max was having side effects from the seizure. As much as Max would like to take credit for being a fast healer, Syl knew her limitations just as well.  
  
"It won't do you any good," Renfro said, her voice thick with fear. "My guards are coming, there's nothing you can do." She swallowed audibly and as much as Syl wanted to enjoy the moment, her words sunk in with obvious reason. Max was now leaned against the wall somewhat, but Renfro paid little attention to her; Syl was the one within five feet and a loaded gun.  
  
As Renfro reached for the phone slowly, Syl jumped and within a blink of an eye, she grabbed the phone from Renfro and delivered a powerful punch to the mouth. "Don't even think about it." She said through clenched teeth. The blaring of the siren brought her back to reality with the coming guards, she had to do something fast.   
  
"Call them off." Syl said as she handed her the phone. Renfro looked at her like she was mentally insane as she rubbed her sore jaw. "Do. It. Now." She spoke slowly and demanding. She pushed a few numbers on the speed dial that were clearly marked and handed the phone to Renfro. She pulled a handgun from her waist and cocked it, pointing it directly at Renfro's temple.  
  
The other end rang for a moment before an officer picked it up. Renfro eyed the gun from her peripheral vision and inhaled a tight breath. "Yes. This is Renfro." She answered. When the guard asked what was going on, Renfro paused and pursed her lips.   
  
Syl caught her thinking of an alternative, and pushed the gun to her temple harder. "Everything is clear, it was a simple drill. Have the guards resume their posts immediately." She sighed. After a few more moments, the guards asked her a question. Syl strained her hearing capabilities to the maximum and listened to the receiver.   
  
"Ma'am, is something wrong?" He asked in a hushed tone. Syl pushed the gunpoint as hard as she could without breaking Renfro's skin against her head and shook her own.   
  
"No." Came Renfro's strangled reply as she realized just how deep she was in. The guard sighed contentedly and hung up the phone, Renfro did the same.  
  
"You can't just expect to walk right out of here, you know." Renfro said to Syl. "It's no good, just turn yourselves in and I promise no harm will come to you." She said coolly as her gaze was across the room so she didn't have to see the gun loaded and aimed at her head.   
  
"Yeah, I'll believe you're a saint before I'll believe that." Syl scoffed. She tightened her grip on the gun and quickly glanced over to Max. She was sweating bullets in the corner of the room and her eyes were half closed. Syl had to resist the strong urge to run over to her and instead turned back to Renfro.  
  
"Think what you will, but there's no escape from here now." Renfro added with a smirk. "All the X5s belong to me, each and every one of you. I know how you think and what you are. Manticore is in your blood and it's where you belong." She felt her composure returning and the ball coming into her court.  
  
"Shut up." Syl demanded. They needed to find a way out of there quickly. Max was dropping and she wasn't sure how long they'd have before Renfro's men would come into the office and discover them. Before Syl could think of a way to reach the car outside, Renfro continued to talk.  
  
"You can't run all your life, you all belong here. It's where you were born, it's where you were taught, it's where you should serve as the perfect soldiers you are."   
  
"I said, shut up!" Syl shouted.   
  
But she still continued, ignoring Syl's order. "Manticore is also guarded from head to toe, any escape route you have planned is heavily watched by now from the alarm that went off. You're trapped."   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Max slumped against the wall for support and kept her wavering eyes on Syl and Renfro. She started to sweat like crazy and wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep. The Tryptophan offered a few minute solution, but once the immediate effects began to wear off, she felt as if she had a terrible hangover.   
  
She rubbed her eyes profusely and was determined not to fall asleep. Renfro was on the phone with some lackey of hers, no doubt, and Syl had a gun pointed to the bitch's temple. Good. She should just do it now, it would make every one happy. But, Syl was a goodie like her, never wanting to harm anyone unless they tried to harm her first. Max figured it was just cause all ready with Tinga and Zack's death, her clouded mind screamed for her to do it now.   
  
Her eyes were getting heavier and heavier, her balance becoming more unsteady. Max focused on the two in front of her as Renfro hung up the phone and talked to Syl. Their voices seemed like echoes, blurred and distorted, like they were a million miles away. Syl glanced at her for a quick second and she could see the surprise and disappointment in Max's condition.   
  
Max tried to stand straight and to find the voice to make a snide remark to Renfro, but she couldn't make her throat move right and no sound would come. She began to slide slowly down the wall until she reached the floor and slumped. Renfro and Syl's eyes were turned towards her now, Syl's with concern, and Renfro's with happiness. It's amazing how indescribably mad some people can make you at the strangest times.   
  
Max's eyes started to shut just as Renfro used the time that Syl's attention was turned and grabbed a handgun from inside her desk and pointed it back at Syl. Syl turned her gaze from Max back to Renfro and the two stood perfectly still, both aimed at the other. Max couldn't hold her eyes open anymore and they fell closed just as a gun was shot.  
  



	13. No Way Out

Disclaimer: It's pretty obvious what I own and don't. Please don't sue, it would just be a waste of your time.  
  
Please R/R!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
THE HUNT  
Chapter Thirteen  
No Way Out  
  
  
With a quick twist of his wrist, and a simple tug on the wire, Logan instantly felt the whirring of the exoskeleton come to life. He smiled smugly to himself and then tested it out. He swung his legs over the side of the chair and stood. After getting his bearings right, he was able to stand. Krit also exchanged a small grin at the sight before checking outside the door once again.  
  
Two guards were coming down the hall and slowing as the approached the room. Both Logan and Krit saw the men coming and hid. Logan went into the small room where they had kept his exoskeleton while Krit hid behind the other side of the door.   
  
"You wanna get some coffee?" One of the guards asked as they stopped in front of the room. Their voices were muffled by the layers of door between them, but they were close. Even if they looked into the window, they would realize Logan was gone.   
  
"Nah, I'm fine. We have to check on Cale anyway." The other guard informed them. The door finally came open and both men rushed in as they saw the empty table and the restraints scattered about on the bed. "What happened here?" The guard asked as they approached the bed.   
  
Suddenly, the first guard went to the floor as Krit hit him in the back of the head with his gun, causing him to groan as fell. He slumped to the ground and the other guard turned to face Krit, only receiving a blow to the face with the same gun. He fell on top of the other guard, both unconscious.   
  
"Are you ready?" Krit asked as he glanced back to Logan who came out of hiding. He was staring at the guards on the floor with amazement; Krit did all that without a thought or breaking a sweat. "I move fast." He warned.  
  
"I think I can keep up." Logan replied wryly. Both crouched down as Krit opened the door and peered out. He motioned for Logan to follow him before cocking a small handgun. The crept quietly down the hall and stopped at a storage closet. Logan was about to ask why, but before he could, the door came open and Bling stepped out. His face was a perfect reflection of Logan's when he saw the exoskeleton working again. Krit started down the hall again, Bling and Logan right behind him.   
  
After a few more minutes of walking quickly down twisting hallways and long corridors, they came to a dead end, only one room left in the hall. Krit stopped and loaded his second machine gun. After he had prepared the gun, he led the other two to the door where a sudden gunshot was heard. All three winced away in surprise at the sudden sound before Krit hit the door's button and it whooshed open.  
  
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Syl's grip tightened on the trigger, just another tug and a bullet would rip free of the chamber. Max's condition was worsening and she had to get her out of there before it was too late to help her and be impossible to take her to the car. Renfro looked just as menacing as she could imagine that she was looking, but more fear was behind her eyes than Syl's. Time seemed to cease as both Renfro and Syl stared each other down, neither moving, eyes locked without waver.   
  
Suddenly, Syl's cat senses rang in her head and on instinct she reacted just in time as Renfro pulled her own trigger and tired to shoot Syl. It was too late, Syl was all ready in a mid air kick and dislodged the gun from Renfro's hand, causing the bullet to shoot a hole in the opposing wall. With a simple kick to the head and an agonizing twist of her wrist, Renfro dropped the gun and stumbled back until she fell and knocked her head on the marble, making her seem unconscious.   
  
The door's to Renfro's office suddenly burst open and Syl sprang into her defensive stance, preparing her gun and aiming it at whoever would enter. She immediately withdrew as Krit, Bling, and Logan came into the room. The three of them stood in the doorway for a moment, taking the scene in before them, Renfro spread out on the floor, Max crumpled in the corner and Syl standing behind the desk with a gun loaded and ready. With their eyes locked on Max and Syl, no one saw Renfro wake up and slowly creep towards her gun on the floor. Logan went over to Max immediately, Bling and Krit not to far behind. He put her head into his lap and tried to wake her up.  
  
"What happened?" He asked Syl as he continued to shake her gently. She wasn't responding, but didn't seem to have any injuries. A flashback to when he found her in the woods penetrated his thoughts at the sudden horrification.  
  
"She had a seizure about fifteen minutes ago." Syl informed them, Logan breathed a small sigh, that wasn't the worse that could've happened. "She just dropped." Syl began to walk over to them, but her cat senses went off. Krit's did as well and was able to get a voice out in time.   
  
"Syl, watch out!" He shouted. Another gunshot echoed in the room as Syl dashed behind the desk, barley missing the bullet that was fired. Krit and Bling also ducked behind various pieces of furniture in the room, Bling behind a chair and Krit behind a column. The bullet shattered a vase that was on a pedestal across the room, next to Logan and Max. Shards of blue glass shattered and sprayed onto them as it broke.   
  
"Nobody move." Renfro ordered as she slowly rose from the floor. Blood was dripping from her mouth where Syl had kicked her and the side of her head was all ready gaining a bump from where she hit the floor. From the sudden noises and the action of what was happening, Max began to wake slightly, her eyes drifting. She knew that she was in danger and was trying to respond, but her body wouldn't allow her to.  
  
"Logan?" She whispered weakly up at him, unaware of Renfro and the gun. He shushed her gently before turning his head back to Renfro. Krit started to make an advance on Renfro, but the gun was instantly aimed at him and caused him to stop in his tracks.   
  
"No one move, or I'll shoot." She turned the gun towards Max and Logan before cocking the gun. Krit started to move closer and Refro snapped her head to his direction. "I'll do it. Tell me Krit, do you want to kill your sister, because that's what you're doing every time you take a step." She said warningly, Krit didn't answer but froze completely. Renfro's voice was unnaturally calm at a time like that, she seemed to know exactly what she was doing and felt no remorse for it.  
  
Logan could see the strain in Syl's face. Her gaze was on the gun in Renfro's hand. She looked as if she was calculating whether she could get to it before Renfro could fire and she knew it would be a risky move. If Syl dove for the gun, Renfro might shoot and end up hitting Max or himself. If Renfro fired later, it would hit Syl and possibly wound or kill her.   
  
"Don't do it." Logan thought, wishing that Syl could read his plea. Max began to stir as she regain some consciousness. She was glancing around the room and wincing every time she turned her head. Logan turned back to Renfro and stared at the gun that was now aimed at him and saw her applying a slight pressure to the trigger. He closed his eyes in a long blink and swallowed. He really didn't want another part of him paralyzed, or maybe even worse.  
  
Suddenly, there was a quick motion from Syl's direction as a small dagger was unsheathed from her boot and thrown across the room, into Renfro's arm, making her drop the gun and stumble back in surprise. She clutched her wounded arm with her good one and backed up over to her desk. She slammed her fist against the red button and the siren started to wail again. Syl rushed over, tightened her fists so hard she knew they were white, and then delivered a mighty blow to Renfro's face. Renfro fell backwards and onto the floor again, tending to the new blood flow coming from her nose.  
  
"Time to go, Maxie." Krit said as he rushed over to her and with little effort picked her up and held her in his arms. She felt like a rag doll, weak and dazed. Max tried to fight the overpowering urge to sleep, but it was becoming too much and she felt herself slipping unconscious again.  
  
Krit and Logan lead the way down the hall with Syl and Bling right behind them. As they turned the corner, a heavy row of guards blocked their way, all standing still as more came around another corner and completely blocked their escape. As the four turned to see any way out, they found they were completely surrounded by Manticore guards that were steadily advancing on them.   
  
Renfro found her way through the crowd of soldiers and up front. "Give it up." She said to them, somewhat out of breath. Then with a smile she added, "You're not leaving." The only sound heard was the dozen or so guards cocking their guns simultaneously and aiming them at the group.  
  
  



	14. Escape and Evade

A/N: Well, only one chapter left after this one. Thanks again for all the great reviews guys, they're awesome!   
  
Disclaimer: Come on! I WISH I owned the characters and show!  
  
Please R/R  
I promise you, no strings attached!   
  
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THE HUNT  
Chapter Fourteen  
Escape and Evade  
  
  
Logan felt Krit and Syl ease up to him as they all crept closer together every step the guards made to advance on them. Renfro was looking rather proud of herself with her arms gently crossed and a smug smile written across her face. The blood had stopped flowing from her nose and lip, but her clothes were in shambles and her hair was mussed. The wound that Syl had created in her arm with the dagger was still rapidly bleeding, but she tried not to show her pain; even though her face grimaced every once in a while. At least they had given her a run for what it was worth.  
  
Krit made a quick scan of the guns that the soldiers were carrying with his advanced eyes and noticed they were holding tasers instead of actual loaded guns. That took a little ease off of the situation, but knowing what might happen if he was shot with one didn't make him feel any better. Max shifted slightly in his arms, trying to wake, but not finding enough strength to actually do it. He sighed depressingly slightly, knowing that she wouldn't be able to help.   
  
Syl moved closer to the group as a guard pointed his gun at her neck. She really felt like snapping his. He kept running his eyes over her when he didn't think no body was watching. The first thing she wanted to do if she got free was to give him a nice bump on the head or rip those gazing eyes of his out. Bling was next to Logan and her, and hovering over the entire group, being the tallest.   
  
"Just give it up." Renfro said again breaking all of them out of their own reveries. "If you come peacefully, no harm will come to you." She watched for a moment as no one moved or attempted to answer and then continued. "You're out numbered." She motioned around her. "There's no escape for you this time. Come back to Manticore." She said over sweetly as she stepped closer to Max and Krit.   
  
Syl was preparing herself to lunge out at the fresh guard, when her senses whirled keeping her from attacking. Within a second, an alarm started to blare, red lights flashed everywhere and the guards were thrown off their concentration. It was time.   
  
Krit quickly gave Max over to Logan before attacking three guards that were placed in front of him. He took two down with a split leg kick and the third he punched with all his might in the face, sending the man sprawled onto the floor with blood trickling down his nose and mouth.   
  
Syl instantly sprang for the guard that had been eyeing her since they trapped them, whacking the guy on the head with his own taser gun which she grabbed and used on five other guards that were realizing too late what was happening. Bling aided in the fight by taking out two guards, much slower than Syl and Krit, but it was still helpful.   
  
Logan took Max off into a corner of the hall away from the fight and kept her as calm as he could. She tried to fight his hold, mumbling how she had to help, but was even too weak to fight against Logan. Her eyes became heavy again before he felt her doze off in his arms. Logan held her close as he backed into the corner just when more tasers went off and the guards began to drop like flies.   
  
Krit took out the remaining guards with the taser that Syl had used and given to him. When all the soldiers were down, that only left Renfro who was watching incredulously and leaning against the wall with awe. Her guards were scattered about everywhere, blood flowing and moans sounding every moment or two.  
  
"Syl, get Max. We gotta jet." Krit told Syl as he picked up another taser. He walked over to Renfro who was still shocked by the revelations, her eyes darting around. Krit got up close to her face and grabbed her wounded arm tightly. Renfro squirmed in his grasp, wincing each time she shifted her injury. "We're never coming back, never." He said and checked the taser, then aimed it at her. "This is for all the X5s." and he shot her with the stun gun.   
  
Renfro felt a piercing stab of electricity bound through her before her body started to twitch and then tremble. She fell to the floor in a heap, he body going numb from the shock. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell unconscious. Krit sneered down at her before his senses went off and his advanced hearing heard approaching footsteps.   
  
Syl, Bling and Logan came behind him, Syl carrying Max gently in her arms. He motioned down the hall where more guards were coming and made them follow him down the opposing corridor. The siren had stopped wailing and Manticore was quiet except for their footsteps and the groaning down the hall as the guards began to wake and others tended to their wounds and their fallen boss.   
  
Max was stirring more and more in Syl's arms, asking incoherent questions and trying to get up, but another wave of drowsiness swept over her before she fell asleep, safe in her sister's arms. The four on foot ran out of and unguarded loading doors and down the ramp behind Manticore. Another siren started to wail, but this one was more familiar as searchlights probed the forests that they ran into as dogs started to bark.   
  
The four hopped into the busted up convertible and the engine roared to life. Krit hit the petal to the floor and raced down the street. The tires skidded at first before screeching and taking off quickly. Logan breathed a sigh of relief as they headed back to Seattle and took one last look in the direction of Manticore.   



	15. Desserts

A/N: Well, this is it. This is the last chapter of my story. I'm glad that so many people enjoyed it, I had a lot of fun writing it. Thank you again for all the support and encouraging words you all have given me, it means a lot to me. Thank you. *Hugs*  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothin' but the story. You can buy it from me if the price is right....  
  
Please R/R!  
  
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THE HUNT  
Chapter Fifteen  
Desserts   
  
  
Max groaned as she shifted her weight and turned over. Her head was throbbing and her arms felt heavier than usual. The leather beneath her crunched and shifted as she changed her position and sighed. Everything in her body felt so relaxed even though she was somewhat sore in her legs, but she felt safe, and that was what was important.  
  
Max's eyes whipped open in realization at what she remembered to happen and tried to focus on the things around her, but she had to squint against the light in the room that only irritated her headache further. Where was she? Didn't they make it out of Manticore? Where were her siblings? Where was Logan? Max tried to sit up, but the combination of the blinding light in the room and the previous dizziness held her back.   
  
"It's okay." Logan said as he walked into the room and sat on the edge of the couch. "Everything's all right." He soothed softly.  
  
"Where is everyone?" She asked urgently, fearing the worse. Snippets of the fight and the battle in Renfro's office came back to her, suggesting that she had lost another family member to Manticore. She wasn't sure if she could handle that, especially after her Krit and Syl had gotten closer.  
  
"Syl and Krit are set up in a safe house for tonight," He said gently. "I'll set up a contact number so you can keep in touch. Everyone's all right." He reassured her. She relaxed by his words and fell into a comfortable groove in the couch. Normally she didn't need much sleep, but the leather and the pillows around her were very inviting.  
  
"How did we get out?" She asked, referring to the surrounding guards they had faced earlier.  
  
"Oh," He smirked. "We had a little help from and outside source. Seems that Sebastian hacked into the surveillance system and picked the perfect moment to set off the fire alarm."   
  
Max laughed lightly. "I can't believe it only took a little fire alarm to take down the black helicopter boys."   
  
"Do you need anything?" Logan asked as he reached out and softly caressed her cheek and gave her a warm smile. She returned the gaze and sighed contentedly.  
  
Max thought a moment and then grinned slightly. "I could use some cookies and milk." She said softly. He looked at her quizzically before raising from the couch and leaving to the kitchen. Max could hear Logan talking to Bling in the kitchen about her condition as he poured the milk. She had hundreds of questions to ask him and her siblings, but they could wait until later. Right now, she just wanted her hard-earned dessert.  
  
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Renfro tipped back in her swivel leather chair and adjusted the sling that had been wrapped snugly around her shoulder from her injury. A small white bandage resided on her split lip and her nose was a little swollen. The electricity that had been shot into her earlier that day had little side effects as the day wore on besides the lightheadedness and the slight queasy feeling she felt.   
  
She sipped her steaming coffee and sighed. The surveillance equipment had been repaired, the guards had returned to their posts and her wounds had been tended too. Everything was back to normal, except she was three X5s short. The splattered memories cascaded and echoed through her mind, each in it's own importance and reminding her how close she had come to achieving her goal ... again.  
  
The psychoactives failed on Cale, but that wasn't her fault. Her damn doctors didn't give him the proper dosage, just because they didn't believe he could survive it. Renfro scoffed. That didn't matter, he knows where X5s are. The only thing that mattered to her was retrieving that information and using it to bring back her meal tickets.  
  
X5-452. Max. She had escaped Manticore not just twice, but three times. The score sickened Renfro. She was supposed to be there training to become the ultimate fighting machine and instead she's out in Seattle some where with Cale and her little friends, wasting away her talent for nothing. Syl and Krit also escaped and their absence was putting another damper on Renfro's horrible day.  
  
She was suddenly broken out of her reverie as the doors to her office whooshed open. The sound made Renfro snap at attention and instinctively grab the gun that was now taped to the bottom of her desk for more protection. She eased back as her only X5, Brin, walked into the room and saluted her.  
  
"Where were you when all this was happening?" Renfro demanded as her fear flew away and her previous rage came back. She stood up from her desk quickly and instantly felt a strong wave of dizziness push her back down.   
  
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. X5-452 immobilized me and I was unable to aid in her recapture." She said solemnly.   
  
"I understand that." Renfro said coolly. "But now, she has escaped once again with your other siblings and damaged Manticore ... internally and financially." Renfro took a gulp of her coffee before continuing to ease her shattered nerves.   
  
"Will the search for X5-452 continue, Ma'am?" Brin asked.   
  
"Defiantly. Once I can get another team up and running to trace the implant in her head, it shouldn't be a problem. The thing is, once we find her, getting her back to Manticore and reprogramming is the trouble." She said disappointingly.  
  
"With permission, I will take full responsibility for leading that team and bring her back to Manticore." Brin said calmly. Renfro smiled at the idea before dismissing Brin with a simple hand wave, she saluted once more and marched out of the room. At least she had one.   
  
Renfro leaned back comfortably in her chair and rubbed her injured arm. She sat back with a smile that slowly eased up her face and sighed. "Next time you won't get away. Next time ... you'll come back home for good." Renfro pulled out the childhood photos of her X5s and pulled out Max's picture. She stared at it for a long moment before placing it on her desk and immediately began to set up the next team to chase her X5.   
  
There wasn't going to be another escape. Her X5s were coming back, even if she'd have to do it, one by one ... starting with Max.   
  
  
~*~ END ~*~  



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